Leicester ’s longest-serving player has joined the Premier League strugglers until the end of the season after finding his first-team opportunities limited at City under Claude Puel.

The loan deal was finally announced at 11.30pm after talks throughout the day at the Liberty Stadium.

The 29-year-old, who has been at City since he was 15 years old and has made 378 appearances for the club, has been allowed to go out on loan to gain pitch time after falling down the pecking order behind Matty James, Wilfred Ndidi, Adrien Silva and Vicente Iborra at City.

The Wales international is also keen to impress new national team boss Ryan Giggs and needs game time to remain match fit.

City are due to take on Swansea on Saturday at the King Power Stadium but King will not be eligible under the terms of the loan.

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Puel said earlier this week that King was a shining example to the rest of the squad with his professionalism and the way he has reacted to a lack of first-team opportunities.

But he said that if an opportunity emerged where King could go out and gain some game time it would be considered.

“We will see with Andy,” he said. “I appreciate him because he is professional and an example for the squad. He is an example for the team and we will see.

“We have a lot of players in his position and it is difficult to give him more game time but we will see what happens at the end of the window."

King became the second player to head out on loan on transfer deadline day after Islam Slimani joined Newcastle United until the end of the season, and the fourth in total after Ahmed Musa returned to CSKA Moscow on loan and Leonardo Ulloa joined Brighton and Hove Albion for the rest of the campaign.